Bad Fats Are Brain-Busters

Linked to Memory Loss

New research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, has found that consumption of “bad” saturated fats may be associated with a decline in cognitive function and memory in older women. The research team analyzed the BWH Women’s Health Study, focusing on four years of data from a subset of 6,000 women older than 65. Those that consumed the highest amounts of saturated fat, like that found in red meat and butter, exhibited worse overall cognition and memory than peers that ate the lowest amounts. Women that consumed mainly monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, demonstrated better patterns of cognitive scores over time.